Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cleaning apparatus used in a standing position. More specifically, the present invention relates to an articulating stand for maintaining a broom or similar cleaning implement in an upright position when not in use.
Related Art
Household tools such as brooms, mops and related apparatus, and garden tools such as rakes and similar implements are characterized by long handles that extend from a working head. The extended handles allow users to operate features of the implements at ground level while maintaining an upright, or substantially upright posture. Although convenient during use, such implements must be leaned against a vertical surface or object when not in use to maintain them upright. Frequently such surfaces are not available, and consequently the implements are placed on the ground, thereby forcing a user to stoop to ground level to resume use.
Various apparatus have been developed to preserve household and garden implements in an upright position when not held by a user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,772 to DiResta discloses a stand for push brooms and like implements featuring a leg mounted on the implement handle or head, and affixed thereto by a fastening mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,374 to Lombardo discloses a push broom stand including an elongated tubular body with a bent shape. The bent tubular body may be attached in various positions. Published application No. U.S. 2008/0083681 to Cella discloses a reconfigurable garden tool caddy device comprising a mounting assembly attached to a garden tool handle. A stand attached to the mounting assembly is movable from a first position next to the body to a second position away from the body for supporting the tool in an upright position.
Although these apparatus can support a long handled implement in one form or another, they are disfavored due to the expense involved in producing them, having multiple parts that are relatively difficult to install, such as requiring mounting brackets (in the case of Cella) or tightening and loosening fasteners (in the case of DiResta), and because they are difficult to use. Therefore what is needed is an apparatus that maintains a long-handled household or garden implement in an upright position, avoids forcing users to stoop over to resume use, and which is inexpensive to make and easy to use.